Farmer’s two new brews mark Black History Month
HE’S made a national name for himself with his meat products and now the Black Farmer has teamed up with a top brewery to produce brews to celebrate Black History Month.
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the Devon-based entrepreneur behind The Black Farmer range of foods, has linked with Black-owned Bristol brewery Dawkins Ales to create a beer and cider to mark October’s celebration of the contribution of the African diaspora.
The beer, Brigg Stow 1155, is named in honour of the Anglo-Saxon name for Bristol and it was in 1155 that this small village was incorporated.
Brewed with English Bramling Cross hops, this well-balanced beer has a slightly spicy, fruity aroma and flavour and an ABV of 4.40%.
Yokel Gold is pressed from apples only grown in long-established family orchards in Somerset. A medium dry cider, it is described as refreshing and crisp, lightly sparkling with a full, lingering flavour, and an ABV of 4.80%.
“Yokel Gold is a salute to my rural brethren and takes what some may regard as a detrimental term and wear it proudly,” Mr Emmanuel-Jones said.
The two new brews are now available online at www.theblackfarmer.com and in selected Bristol pubs.
Mr Emmanuel-Jones, who stood for election in Chippenham in 2010, said: “I have for some time been looking for the right brewery to team up with to launch my own beer and cider. It was important to find a brewery in the South West which is the heartland of The Black Farmer brand.
“For years now, Dawkins Ales have been building up a reputation for making great tasting beers and cider and have many awards to show for their endeavours. Discovering that two of the founders were black was a surprise and an added bonus. Like black farmers, black brewery founders are few and far between.”
He added: “The purpose of Black History Month is to highlight black achievement throughout British history. We want to take this opportunity to showcase what we as black businesses can achieve in what is an industry where there are very few people of colour.
“This year, Black History Month has taken on much greater significance with the #BlackLivesMatter campaign highlighting the injustices black people have been experiencing through the decades and we want to be a positive force for change.”
Mr Emmanuel-Jones, who is behind The Black Farmer range of foods, is aiming to raise at least £100,000 for the charitable Mary Seacole Trust and the Black Cultural Archives, in Brixton.
Supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Budgen’s, Ocado and Morrisons have all committed to donating profits from Black Farmer products to the charities in addition to in-store promotional space.
Mr Emmanuel-Jones, who owns and farms at Higher West Kitcham Farm on the border of Devon and Cornwall in St Giles on the Heath, Launceston, has also set up a GoFundMe campaign for donations.
Mr Emmanuel-Jones was awarded an MBE for services to farming in the 2020 Queen’s Honours. The 63-year-old was a “child of the Windrush generation”, arriving in Britain from Jamaica at the age of four.
Black History Month was first celebrated in Britain in 1987. In the USA, it was officially recognised by President Gerald Ford in 1976, and is celebrated every year in February.